Ensure Your Planter Runs Level

In Episode 1 of Corn College TV Season 2, Farm Journal Associate Field Agronomist Missy Bauer takes it back to the basics with planter levelness.

“When we start planning corn, the first thing to check is planter levelness,” she says. “Check that the main toolbar runs level.”

To do so, place small magnetic level on the toolbar and look at the bubble. If it’s not in the middle, farmers will need to make adjustments to their hitch.

“If a planter is running downhill and the hitch is too low, it changes the angle and pitch of row unit. If running a no-till coulter, it’ll run too deep and takes pressure off closing wheels and change the angle of seed tube itself,” Bauer says. “If running uphill and the hitch too high, there’s too much pressure on the closing system, and there will be variation in planting depth and seed spacing.”

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Anonymous10/1/2011 01:32 PM

A level will not work if the field your operating in is not level. The planter must run parallel to the ground in the field your planting. Not to a bubble level. Why is this statement keep being made by a so call planting specalist?

Anonymous10/1/2011 01:32 PM

A level will not work if the field your operating in is not level. The planter must run parallel to the ground in the field your planting. Not to a bubble level. Why is this statement keep being made by a so call planting specalist?